Escape from Tarkov players have started spotting the new Black Division and RUAF fighters on maps outside of Terminal, with multiple reports showing them appearing in PvE raids on maps including Factory. Evidence of Black Division presence surfaced in posts from VeryBadSCAV, who shared images and calls that fighters meant for Terminal are already spawning in other locations. The most widely circulated post can be seen on X via this VeryBadSCAV tweet.
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Black Division Already in Factory?????????????? #EscapefromTarkov pic.twitter.com/fS73q1kTfH— VeryBadSCAV (@VeryBadSCAVR) December 1, 2025
So far sightings appear limited to the PvE platform, which has led many players to suggest Battlestate Games may be using PvE as a staging ground to test Black Division and RUAF behavior before letting those factions loose in PvP raids. Reports also mention RUAF groups moving in larger packs than typical AI squads, which changes how players are approaching contested objectives. These odd spawns come on the heels of Escape from Tarkov’s 1.0 update and its broad changes across the game world and economy; readers who want context on how the 1.0 launch altered access and progression can check our piece about how the 1.0 launch changed Flea Market access.
Players also report a confused soft lock around Terminal. No player has successfully entered Terminal in normal progression, and many who have completed the new story are sitting on a wait objective that tells them to hold fire until an escape path is outlined, which has only added to speculation that Battlestate is rolling Terminal and the teased Winter Update into live servers in stages. Accounts and community discussion suggest this could be a staged rollout rather than an accidental spawn change, but without confirmation from Battlestate Games the safest reading is that the developer is moving cautiously and using PvE as a buffer to observe how the new faction AI behaves on existing maps.
Seen any of these fighters on a map lately? Leave a comment about where you ran into them and follow us on X, Bluesky, and YouTube for more Tarkov updates.
Escape from Tarkov
Developed by Battlestate Games
